Past presidents and Social Security

Social Security: It's not about partisan politics It's about a promise we ought to keep.

"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security...you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are [a] few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."
- President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 11/8/54

Cite: CBPP, 5/10/05 http://www.cbpp.org/4-29-05socsec.htm

"This nation must not break faith with those Americans who have a right to expect that Social Security payments will protect them and their families. . . . In the 34 years since the Social Security program was first established, it has become a central part of life for a growing number of Americans. . . . Almost all Americans have a stake in the soundness of the Social Security system."

- Richard M. Nixon in a Message to Congress, September 25, 1969

"This bill demonstrates for all time our nation's ironclad commitment to Social Security. It assures the elderly that America will always keep the promises made in troubled times a half a century ago. It assures those who are still working that they, too, have a pact with the future. From this day forward, they have one pledge that they will get their fair share of benefits when they retire."
Ronald Reagan at the signing of Social Security Amendments of 1983
April 20, 1983

"I think it's a nutty idea to fool around with the Social Security system and run the risk of [hurting] the people who've been saving all their lives.... It may be a new idea, but it's a dumb one."
-- Vice President George H.W. Bush in 1987, quoted in the New Republic

The current white house plan to carve out private accounts from Social Security will add $5 trillion dollars to our already rapidly growing national debt. Currently, foreign countries own 44% of America's debt. In fact, China is the second highest foreign owner of US debt (other top owners include Japan, England, Germany and the oil-producing OPEC nations).